Tyger in the Night
by tyger rose
Summary: In the midst of After Colony 195, 5 pilots get sent to earth. But one stays to protect the colonies in space, waiting for the right moment.....6XOC, a little 1XOC
1. The emergence of the pilots

**Tyger in the Night**

By Tyger Rose

Note:This is my first try at a Gundam Wing story, most of the story is review i am basicallyadding my own character. Ill try and make it better, dont judge yet.

Disclaimer- I (sadly) do not own Gundam Wing.

Outer Space.

It was beyond endless, with little dot of light that people called stars. From the Earth it seemed a wonder, a heaven of peace without war and suffering. And so the people of Earth built a new life from scratch, in the colonies. The colonies were described as Earth's superior, without natural disasters and no harbored waste. But the colonies could not forget the Earth, they could only harbor their feeling from far above. Then the same disease of greed spread over space, and organizations such ad the Alliance seized control with Mobile Suits, large metal contraptions piloted by soldiers. And so Space, like the Earth, became a battleground, a graveyard of metal. Peace became a dream that no one spoke of, until Operation M and the 5 pilots who came to Earth.

……After Colony 195: At a rich private school somewhere in the Cinq Kingdom…………………….

Relena Darlian sat quietly in the back of the classroom, waiting for school to begin. Yesterday was the strangest day of her life. That strange soldier, she couldn't get him out of her head. 'I wonder if he is alright' she pondered as the class suddenly hushed at the entrance of their professor and..

"Class, I would like to introduce to you our new students."

Two boys stood in the doorway, one with a long braid and a large smile on his face. The other was stoic, silent and his eyes were shadowed by a mess of brown hair.

"Duo Maxwell at your service" chimed the braided boy with a deep bow. Relena smiled. This one certainly was a charmer. Many of the girls giggled in their seats. The laughing was silenced when a deep voice suddenly spoke.

"My name is Heero Yuy. It's a pleasure."

'Heero Yuy' Relena thought 'The mysterious soldier. It's a pleasure.'

Class commenced as if nothing had occurred, as if two strange boys had never arrived. But for Relena, it was a turning point in her life. The normally avid participant sat quietly in back, nestled in her own thoughts about the beach and Heero. It was during lunch that she worked up the nerve to befriend him and approached him. She was extremely confident in herself, after all, being the Vice Foreign Minister's daughter counted for something.

"Here you go." she started shyly as she handed him the letter. He took it without a word and without a glance, just studied the invitation that he held between his fingers. Taking this as a good sign Relena continued, "It is an invitation to my birthday tomorrow, I hope you can make it." She smiled at him, pleased with herself. Heero still said nothing, and he really didn't need to, as he took the invitation into both hands and ripped it in two. The two pieces of paper floated in front of them, taunting Relena as her eyes became cloudy and her vision began to blur. 'Don't cry' she told herself but it was foolish to hide those emotions.

'Why?' she questioned. She wasn't sure if those words were spoken until she felt a hand brush her cheek and wipe away her tears. She looked up to see Heero looking back, his eyes a beautiful Prussian blue, holding a determination in their depths. She smiled only to have him wipe it away with three words..

"I'll kill you."

And with that the mysterious boy walked away leaving her trembling. She shook with a sudden fear. 'What kind of person is he?'

"Well, that wasn't very nice of him was it?" Relena looked down to where the voice came from. All she saw was a long braid of Duo Maxwell. He stood up gracefully and handed her the two shredded parts of the invitation. "Don't let him get to you, I'm sure the party will be just find without that creep." She smiled, for some reason this boy put her at ease. "Thank you Duo, My name is Relena Darlian."

Duo nodded his head and gave her outstretched hand a small shake, before rethinking his action and bending into another low bow to give the hand a light kiss.

"Echante Miss Darlian, it is a pleasure." And for a few moments she forgot all about the mysterious Mr. Yuy.

………………………………...Somewhere in the Colonies………………………………...

Lieutenant Zechs Merquise was now currently walking through the hallway leading to the office of Colonel Trieze Khushrenada. Apparently there was a dire need to discuss overthrowing the Alliance to be replaced by OZ. Stopping in front of the right door, he knocked three time before the door opened.

"Colonel Trieze, you wanted…" but Zechs stopped speaking. His leader did not answer the door, rather a timid young girl he had never seen before. Embarrassed with himself, he looked at the floor and saw her feet step aside and the door open wider. He cautiously stepped in, aware of the girl who now watched him. The office was empty. Then he heard her voice.

"Mister Trieze should be hear any moment, he asks you sit down and apologizes for his lateness."

Her voice was soft, yet held a bit of authority to it, it was soothingly deep. Like his mother's. 'No, stop thinking of that' he shook his head and proceeded to sit down. Pretending to study the folder on his lap, he examined her with his masked eyes. Like her voice, she had soft features. An angular nose, a clear complexion and her sea blue eyes cast downward. She also looked young, a couple years younger than himself, but she was filled out in all the right places, not too much and not too little. She wore a pair of black slacks offsetting a camouflage jacket and her brown hair was tied back in a ribbon.

Suddenly the door opened and surprised the both of them.

"Mister Trieze" the young girl fumbled as she stood, clasping her hands together for lack of a better position.

"Ah, Lieutenant Zechs I see you have met my young guest, and vice versa." said Trieze in that all knowing voice. "Allow me to introduce Kat de Bourge, sent to me by a family friend on Earth. She has apparently shown an interest in the space colonies and I invited her to stay and help us." Trieze put an arm around the girl and continued "Kat, this is my subordinate Zechs.."

"Zechs Merquise" Kat finished expertly, earning a smile from Trieze at her quick answer. "it is an honor to finally meet the legendary 'Lightning Count' that Mister Trieze speaks so fondly of." She held out her hand in an act of connection to the pilot.

Zechs was confused, this 'Kat' puzzled him, he didn't know why. He had many questions about her. Who is she? Why is she so informed? Why can't I stop staring at her? Where the hell did that come from? But Zechs was a gentleman and politely shook her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you Ms. De Bourge."

Trieze looked quiet pleased at this interaction and Zechs' hesitation, though brief, was not lost on him. 'Zechs Merquise confused. I never thought I would see it.' "Shall we?" he said pointedly to his blond haired friend. Kat bowed her head and walked to a corner of the room and picking up a book and a pencil began to read. Seeing how Trieze was not bothered by her being in the room he proceeded with the business he came to discuss.

………………………………...

Unknowingly to the two men, Kat sat in the corner, listening to every word passed between the two war fighters. 'So, this is the great Lightning Count, a masked figure?' she thought. 'He is one of the most skilled pilots in the galaxy other than those the doctors trained.' She sat thinking over the conversation going on 5 feet away.

"We need to catch the Alliance big shots off guard. Once we promote the ideals of peace, the Alliance will lose control of the colonies when the people side with OZ."

'Dirty Bastards' Kat cursed. 'They are using the dirtiest method possible, something we cannot fight without seeming evil. If OZ can capture the colonies and unite them then they will start a war against the Earth, do Colonists think their perfect?' She traced her pencil down the page until she found the right words. Kat then circled three word before putting the book down and standing up.

Trieze looked up from the folder. "Are you tired Kat?"

She felt bad, underneath the plots of Trieze Khushrenada, he only wanted peace. He cared for the soldiers who fought for him and learned their names. And to her he was always kind and gentle. It almost felt wrong to work against him, who only wanted peace for the colonies. 'But everyone wants peace, and the ideal can be manipulated by those who want power'.

"Yes, Mr. Trieze, I guess I will retire for the night. It was a pleasure to meet you Lieutenant."

And with that , Kat walked out the door and disappeared.

………………………………...

Many floors below, an old woman sat at a desk, a pen and paper at her hand. She pushed her thin glasses up her face as she studied the book in front of her. The book appeared on the desk when she arrived, and she flipped through it earnestly. Finally she found the correct page. 'September 18th, the 18th page of chapter 9..ah here.' What met her eyes on the 18th page of Chapter 9 looked just like any other page of the novel, except this page had 3 circled words. "Speak" was the first word, and the word 'peacefully' was cut in half to form "Peace". The third circle was around a question mark. 'My little Kat is lost' the old woman thought with a smile. 'She cannot stay if she wants to protect the Earth and she cannot leave without suspicion. This is a tough riddle.' The old woman, however was clever and started to write.

'Secrecy 'tis a mask worn

Underneath the seeking watchful eye

Until the mask is suddenly torn

Away from the bird that needs to fly

On winds of naught and wings of gold

Escape the terrors of the dark

Fly away from lies repeatedly told

Shield from the scorching mark.

Thou cannot leave to die

Thou should not stay to live

Thou hold your head up high

Thou spirit and heart revive'

Pleased, the old lady reread the poem, adding three last lines. Then she was off, to tuck in Ms. Kat de Bourge: her mistress, her friend, her apprentice.

'In your heart you feel the truth from lies

But let the world dream otherwise.

Until you take the mask from their eyes

My tyger in the night.'

So, you know the drill, please review, I take suggestions!


	2. Returning to the Earth

-1Kat read and reread the mysterious poem that came with her morning newspaper. Of course the message was quite clear to her, but it was an amazing feat to out-think the Alliance forces and escape the man that was Trieze Khushrenada. Plus that Lieutenant of his, Zechs Merquise, she was not in awe of him but it was more of an understanding of two soldiers. _'But I have never seen him pilot before, is he better than me? If the time arose could I defeat him in battle? No, stop it, you can not doubt yourself. You have come too far to screw up.' _But that was her problem, she knew how to infiltrate the system and knew the main defense pilots that could prevent escape, but with one of the most respected soldier's in space? That she was unsure of.

It came as a surprise when Zechs was able to sink one of the weapons of Operation Meteor, and more of a surprise when he left behind the evidence to the naval mother ship. She could just talk to Trieze, but she couldn't risk suspicion. _If only……_

Tap Tap Tap 

"Ms. De Bourge, His Excellency requests you meet him for lunch in the gardens."

_There are no true gardens in space. _"I will be there shortly" she called instead.

………………………………...

The rose garden was a favorite spot for Trieze Khushrenada. And there were only three people he was willing to share it with. The first was Lady Une, his second-in-command, who was trying to settle the Alliance Elite. Next was Zechs Merquise, his friend and finally Kat, who he treated like a daughter. He turned to watch the birds among the wildflowers until he heard a deep voice behind him

"Sorry for my lateness, your Excellency"

He simply pointed to a chair and the tall figure of Zechs appeared to sit beside him. There was a hint of tension in the air until Trieze finally spoke. "What is the matter, friend?"

To Trieze, Zechs appeared calm and collected, but he was frazzled nerves under his mask. He wasn't normally one to skirt the issue or twist words, but he felt a need to at the question burning in his mind.

After a long pause he sighed, knowing it was no use to hide from the one who knew him so well.

"Tell me about Kat de Bourge."

At this Trieze smiled, he expected this. "Kat is a girl unlike any you will ever meet." He paused, only to hear Zechs grumble at his lack-of an answer. "I knew her grandparents" Trieze continued " They raised her as a child, home-schooled her whole life. She has an amazing amount of knowledge and the gift of inquiry. She then became interested in the colonies and the secrets and politics behind it all. She took my fancy and so I brought her back to space with me, to show he life up here."

"Sounds like a good summery of my life so far."

Both men turned to see the very source of their conversation at the edge of a nearby rosebush, lightly playing with one of the buds. She was dressed cleanly, with a knee length black skirt and a white blouse, as she walked toward them her heels clicked on the pavement behind her. 'She seems trustworthy' Zechs thought to himself as he gave her a look over behind masked eyes. Her hair was still pulled back into a ponytail, exposing her neck and shoulders, she had acquired a slight hourglass shape to her torso that tapered off into long legs. Kat took a seat beside him, making each movement overly graceful, knowing both men were eyeing her movements.

"So, Lieutenant Merquise, what brings you to space again? Mr. Trieze said you were heading to Earth. Why turn around?" Kat questioned him as she picked up a glass of water in front of him.

"There was business I needed to… double-check with my superior." Zechs responded easily. _Does this guy think he is less than Trieze, what is up with all the titles?_ she thought before she realized Trieze was speaking. "Pardon me?" she quickly interrupted.

Zechs turned to her, she found it very unnerving not being able to see his eyes. Eyes contain the deepest secrets and emotions of the heart and she counted on being able to tell if her 'act' was working. Instead it was steel and a shimmer of light for eyes.

"I am, however," he began, picking up where he left off "returning to Earth to help stop a band of rebels that have landed on Earth. I am going to be the overseeing officer." There was a hint of pride in his voice and Trieze (once again) smiled.

Somewhere in Kat's head, a light bulb went off.

"Where will you be going? It has been so long since I have been to Earth."

Zechs looked at Trieze and he just nodded. "The Sanq Kingdom, that where I shot down one of the pilots".

Immediately he saw her eyes light up. "Have you been there?"

"Oh yes, I used to live there. My grandmother told me I needed to be on my own for a few months when I was 15, last year, so that is where I choose to stay. I lived there to learn the politics of pacifism, and my grandmother sent someone with me. A caretaker of sorts. She still lives with me, she has a job on the colony now."

"How old are you now?" Zechs was becoming more intrigued with this girl. Her posture was perfectly straight and he noticed when she sipped her tea she would bring the cup to her face with both hands before letting her left hand fall to her lap, only to have it come up again and guide it back down. _Jesus what is wrong with me. _

"I just turned 16, I have been with Mister Trieze around 6 months." she then got this faraway look in her eye, "Sometimes I miss it." She didn't even have to say it.

Zechs thought silently for a moment. Then he spoke. "Your Excellency, with your permission I would be honored if you would allow me to escort Miss De Bourge to her home in the Sanq Kingdom. It would be a wonderful break from the colonies and she can return when…she is ready." Trieze noticed the firm look in his eyes. He then looked at Kat. She looked both perplexed and surprised at his offer, but slowly her face broke out into a beautiful smile.

"Lieutenant, I have no qualms but you might want to consider asking her before asking me."

Zechs blushed behind his mask and cursed himself for his lack of manners. What would she think of him now? But he looked up again when Trieze continued speaking.

"Why don't you escort her to her room, Lieutenant, while she packs. You may leave on the next flight.

_I can't believe it worked. Kito and I will go home to Earth. _

Kat began to think about her plans as Zechs glided beside her. He had some sort of…elegance and grace about him, and she suspected he had some sort of noble background. At least that is what Kito told her. She turned to look up at him and his face remained stoically forward, lost in his own thoughts. _Hmm, time to play around with Lightning Boy. _She made a bird call from the back of her throat and he turned suddenly, inspecting his surroundings and not looking at her. She made the call again and he turned sharply toward her. "Did you hear anything?"

"What?"

"Nothing".

_Yay! Me-1, Lightning-Boy- 0._

They turned the last corner and she stopped in front of the door of her suite. She pressed the code into the keypad and opened the door, only to find her hand batted away and a larger, stronger one held the door for her. She absently wondered how such strong looking hands could look so neat and slim, almost feminine. (A/N think Rurouni Kenshin, I swear he is a she, but I'm glad he's not because he is H-O-T. Ok back to story). She mumbled a slight thank you and he merely nodded, closing the door after she entered.

Her suite was very posh, but that was what was expected from Trieze Khushrenada. She had a large wooden canopy bed decorated white and green, with a kitchen and parlor, which was hardly used because she was either exploring the colony or dining with Trieze. She walked to the intercom by her bed and called Kito, her long time friend and caretaker. As expected, Kito's vivacious old face popped up on the screen. "I saw you with the Lightning Count, everything alright?"

Kat couldn't help but smile. "I know that smile, Ms. De Bourge" Kito mock- scolded "and every time I see it, I never like it."

Kat smiled wider. "Ready to go home, ma petite grandmere?"

………………………………...

Kat finished packing her bags rather quickly and began to lug her bag out the door when she noticed a tall blonde leaning against the parallel wall. Zechs didn't look bored or agitated, in fact he looked quite casual and relaxed, and there was something about not being able to see his eyes which added to the effect. Slowly he pushed himself off of the wall and made to grab her bag. She grasped it tighter.

"It's not that heavy." She told him. All she got was silence at what she could only imagine was a disapproving look from the soldier. "I didn't expect you to wait for me."

Zechs merely nodded. She swept her hair to he left shoulder to avoid catching on the strap of her bag, and he tried to avoid staring at the exposed skin on her neck. He failed.

"Shall we go?"

Kat merely nodded. As they walked down the deserted hallway, they noticed an old woman standing beside the elevators. Kat picked up her speed and Zechs followed.

"Kito." Kat said to her companion as she hugged her. Zechs noticed that she seemed quite old, looking around 55, with shoulder length gray hair and hazel eyes.

"Qui il est?

Kat smiled, when it was light conversation they spoke French frequently to each other. When it wasn't, the code language was Farsi.

"Il s'appelle Lieutenant Zechs Merquise, ma petite grandmere."

Zechs bowed lightly out of respect. Looking into the woman's eyes, he could see why Kat trusted her so much.

"Ah, a noble gentleman" Kito spoke in English. "Very few of those I have met, and you're the first Kat has introduced me to."

"Shh, Grandmere, Sil vous plait!" Kat lightly hit her friend on the arm but she was chuckling as she did so.

"And never have I been introduce to a woman as fine looking as you." Zechs replied, a smirk was all that could be seen on his masked face.

"And now he mocks me, perhaps I was wrong:" Kito quipped, before taking the bag from her mistress and stepping through the open elevator doors, followed by Zechs and Kat.

Trieze was waiting for them when the decent ended. "Ah, you are all ready to leave?" He almost sounded disappointed. Kat could see Lady Une standing behind him, and smiled at her friend. Though she hated to admit it, Kat had grown fond of 'His Excellency's second in command', she could be very sweet and kind, yet she looked out for the well being of people, too bad she was on the wrong side. But if Une thought her side was right, she would respect her friend. Lady Une smiled back quickly, and while Zechs and Trieze discussed a few last minute details of the trip, she walked over to Kat and embraced her tightly. "I'll miss you Kat." Lady Une told her softly, her voice loosing her firm, commanding tone.

Kat returned the embrace. "I'll miss you too." And she meant it. "I'll see you soon". At that comment she looked at Kito, and prayed that their next meeting would be under civil circumstances. She then moved away and curtsied lightly to Trieze, her skirt swishing around her knees. Trieze bowed slightly. And nudged her towards the large space plane.

The space plane was not a civilian shuttle, she never thought it would be. It was a large aircraft designed to carry a small unit comfortably though long space journeys, with room for mobile suits on board in the back. Kat saw Kito enter the plane in front of her and she felt a hand on her back, ready to help her in, she truned to look at the silver face behind her. "I'm not made of lace" she spoke curtly and stepped quickly onto the aircraft, which made her realize that her was counting on her cooperation to support him and his step fumbled slightly. Once he was on the plane, the doors closed and he made his way to the front of the plane, before a hand silently stopped him. He looked down at the girl. "Miss De Bourge, I.."

"Kat will do fine, no need for formalities anymore" Kat told him, but her hand never strayed from his arm. He felt it's light heat and it almost made his breathing quicken. She leaned up to his ear, or what she thought was his ear, and spoke softly,

"I want to thank you for helping me to get off of this colony, I appreciate Trieze and all he has done for me, but I really miss my home. You have been so polite to me, and I just want to thank you, for everything."

As she pulled away from him she noticed his eyes open from the inside of his mask. Her heart jumped, she could barely see his eyes. Ice blue, that chilled her soul. She read them immediately; gratitude, surprise and want. Before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and lightly kissed the corner of his mouth, barely missing his lips. Zechs let his eyes close again, trying to regain control of his composure. Kat pulled away and smiled at him, turning and walking toward the living quarters in the back, even in a space plane, it would be a three day journey to Earth. Once she was out of sight, Zechs let out a shaky breath and touched the spot where she had kissed him. It was slightly moist and he brushed his finger across it and lightly licked it, just wanting to know how she would have tasted. It faintly tasted of chocolate and mint and he leaned against the wall, letting his head bang against it to try to knock some sense into him. No matter how much he wanted her, to know more about her, he was always still a soldier and she was always a friend to His Excellency. 'Shit'

………………………………...

However, oblivious to the occupied soldier, an old woman was watching him silently, and smiling to herself, made her way to her mistress's quarters as the plane took off.


	3. Home

**Chapter Three: HOME**

"Oh Home, Let me Go Home. Home is wherever I'm with you"- Edward Sharpe, "Home"

Hours had passed since they boarded the plane, hours that seemed like years. As the Alliance plane rode the current closer to the Earth, Kat spent more time on the observation deck, waiting for that first breathtaking look of a planet from above. She knew that Treize was unsure she should return to Earth, frankly, Zechs had caught her off-guard with his request. Kat didn't particularly like the fakeness of the colonies, but knowing how much devastation there was on the planet due to drought, overpopulation, and famine, having more space was a wonderful thing, especially when climate could be controlled so easily. Not to say that there was not such devastation on the colonies. The rate of homelessness was exactly the same between Earth and Space, despite the space to build and the influx of work. _Some things never change, no matter how bad we want them to. Wishing on stars loses its power when you can actually reach them._

She would protect the colonies and its people. And the Earth as well. She preferred breathing real air, running on the beach, crashing into the ocean, and the sound of the wind, watching a real sunset instead of programmed lights, pleasures that some people had forgotten. She hadn't seen a real sunset in three years.

The door slid open behind her. She refocused her vision in the glass, seeing a familiar flow of blond hair.

"Return of the Mask" she joked. Zechs let the comment slide.

"There was a navigational problem, we should be arriving a few hours later than expected."

"But still arriving?" she said. He nodded. She turned back to the window. If he distracted her out of this first glimpse, she might not be able to forgive him. He watched her until it became obvious that he was. She shifted.

"How are you doing?" He asked out of nowhere. "Pleasant journey so far?"

"Very pleasant. Thank you." Distractedly still staring out the window. And then she saw it, and Zechs noticed the twinkle in her eyes as she did, and turned to look at what she was staring at.

An orb. An orb of blue and green, with swirling masses of white as if children had taken splatter paint to a schoolhouse globe. The Earth seemed to light up from the inside, even though science could explain how each feature of the Earth came to be, it didn't make it any less powerful, or magical. No matter how grandiose the mechanics of the colonies became, nothing could best sheer size of the planet, nor the majesty of how it floated in the blackness, as if it were an apple waiting to be picked.

"I had almost forgotten…"Kat trailed off in a whisper. Zechs turned to her again. The Earth was not a friendly place for him. He was now more accustomed to the machinery of his life, and the order that when with it. Watching someone be so moved by the beauty of the planet that caused so much pain was astounding, and it gave him a little hope. So, he stood next to her, and enjoyed it, and for the first time since joining Treize, Zech Merquise sincerely smiled.

**XXXXXX**

The elite Alliance militia greeted the passengers with a steadfast salute as Zechs exited the plane, followed by Kat and Kito.

"They greet him so well" Kat whispered in Farsi. "They don't have a clue who we are. Isn't it funny to get the same respect of a Lieutenant?"

"Enjoy it while it lasts" Kito muttered the language in reply, "for when they actually know who you are, God Forbid, the greeting will not be so welcoming."

"If, grandma." She spoke in a hushed tone, barely disguising the undercurrent of worry. "If."

She then dropped the tones of a serious conversation as Zechs stopped and moved his foot as if to turn around. Kat quickly hopped down the stairs and turned in order to help Kito down the stairs. Zechs masked (literally) his smile at her kindness. Kito, however, was not so pleased. "Just go with it" Kat winked.

Zechs led them to a large black car, airport personnel already loading the trunk with luggage swiftly. "This car will take you to your residence. You said you had a home here?"

Kat nodded. "Seems we're going in style, grandmere." Kito raised her eyes, and Zechs couldn't tell if she was impressed or not. "I will accompany you" he said as he got into the back seat on the drivers' side, the car so long that his legs were not impeded in any way. He spent the whole ride listening and watching the two women in quiet conversation. Driving through the Sanq Kingdom, he began to slip into his dreams, a world of screams and nightmares and fire. Just as he was about to disappear entirely, he was pulled away by laughter next to him. "No you can't have a cat, darling, one is enough for me to handle." Kito joked, Kat laughed, and ice blue eyes brightened behind the stoic mask as the car drove on.

**XXXXXX**

Heero Yuy walked away from the basketball court as speedy as he could be steady. He took all of the compliments for all of the aerial dunks and 3 point shots (including the game winning shot) as politely as he could, which meant not saying much of anything. But when he looked into the crowd surrounding him and spotted a pudgy girl with an oily face, a notebook, and a badge that read "School Paper," he ran out of there as if an army was following him.

As he passed a residential street, a black car with tinted windows began to slow behind him. He stole a glance, before maneuvering himself behind a tree. The car completely ignored him and pulled into the driveway of a brick townhouse on the other side of the street. Suspicious and curious, he remained behind the tree to watch.

Two men exited the front seat of the car, soldiers that disguised their status but not their demeanor in black suits and glasses. The first waited at the foot of the stairs leading to the house, and the second opened the car door behind his. He held out his hand only to have it swatted away. A cane appeared, and then an old woman, stretching slightly with a slightly irked expression on her face. On the other side of the car exited a tall man wearing a silver mask. This man Heero did recognize. It was the scum of Treize, the man who shot him down, the Lighting Count himself. At that moment, Heero wished that he had a gun stored in the spandex of his shorts. The Count in turn held out his hand, and placed in it was a younger hand. A woman exited the vehicle, her face mostly covered by a mass of brown hair. Heero leaned out a little farther from behind the tree, his face relaxing slightly, and his eyes widening minutely.

"This way, grandmere" she called to the woman. The three passengers then walked up the stairs and disappeared into the house. Heero stood there for a moment, and pondered the closed door. That voice had caught something in his attention, and he wasn't sure what or why. He had little experience with women, especially women his own age, other than that girl from school, Dorlain the Diplomat's daughter. Not having any answer made him uneasy. He looked at the door again. He nodded slightly to himself as he continued to walk to the school dormitories, making a promise to return to the house sometime, of only to see the mystery girl.

**XXXXXX**

Lieutenant Merquise walked the two women up the front steps as Kat fished out the keys from her purse and unlocked the door. The trio walked in as the two men from the car set their bags at the bottom of the stairs and left. Kat breathed and sighed the air of her home, happy to be reunited with things she recognized. The old lady, already halfway up the stairs, called down that she was going to nap. Kat nodded, and set about cleaning up the place. She entered the living room and started to take the sheets off of the couches, and the dust along with them.

Zechs stood silent in the doorframe and watched the vivacious woman put the sheets into a closet. Without the dusty sheets, it almost looked as if no one had left. The room was simple; butter-yellow wallpaper, off-white antique furniture, wooden bookcases to one side, and a matching dark wooden coffee table between two couches. At this moment she was fighting a losing battle with the wine-red drapery, which had mysteriously become tangled. He walked over to her and, using his height to reach the rod, untangled the cloth and pushed it to one side, sunlight infiltrating the room at the sudden move. Kat looked up at him, and slowly shifted her gaze to the street outside. She noticed, however, that he never shifted his gaze.

"Your car is gone" she noticed.

He nodded, not looking. "I'll call for another later. I wanted to stay. And get you settled."

His boldness surprised him. And he hoped that his Freudian slip would go unnoticed.

It didn't, but the only sign on her part was a slightly elongated blink of her eyes. "You must be tired, I can make some tea if you like." Not looking or waiting for his response, she turned and walked straight into the kitchen.

As she put the kettle on the stove and brought it to a boil, Kat found a note on her refrigerator.

_Hey Meow-Meow!_

_Thought you may need some supplies. Produce is in the fridge. Your favorite cookies are in the pantry. Say hello to grandmere! And the veggies are organic, no pesticides, so please eat them. Before the cookies._

_Nessie._

Kat smiled. Of course Nessie would deem it important to put the quality of produce in a welcome-home scribble. She went straight for the pantry and put the cookies on a small tray along with the hot water and tea fixings, and returned to the kitchen. She found Zechs by the mantle, looking at an old and yellowing black and white photograph of a woman and a young girl, one wearing silk and the other wearing lace, both were laughing. He didn't hear her come in.

"My mother." She said. He broke away from the picture so fast he hit the side table. "My mother is the one in silk."

"What happened to her?" He asked. He guessed already, but he wanted her to say it, if only to confide in him. She didn't.

"Tea?" she replied instead, although she gave him a knowing look as she set the tray on the coffee table.

"Yes, thank you" he sat down opposite her, his posture remaining straight despite the soft dip in the couch. He didn't hear his answer, but he did see the sadness in her eyes, and recognized it immediately. He had seen that look on his own face, reflected back at him in the mirror every day. She poured the tea, and sipped it idly, her posture as straight as his, for a few moment. Then she set her cup down decisively, picked up a chocolate-covered biscuit, and fell back into the couch, munching and giggling. He tilted his head in question, since he couldn't convey a raised eyebrow through the mask.

"What? It's my house!" she defended. And laughed again. It was infectious, and he laughed too, following suit and picking up a cookie, relaxing back into the couch, the length of his arm resting on the back as he crossed his long legs.

Together they talked, between mouthfuls of cookies. Tea was abandoned for glasses of milk (her idea, "You can't have cookies without milk, it's against a law somewhere." He had asked where, and all he got in reply was a decisive point downward).

They talked about the latest concerts that they didn't see, the ones they did, the last book they read, favorite food for a rainy day, and of course the "trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-one-book" question.

"That's cheating!" Kat exclaimed with another point towards him.

"It is not! How that cheating? And how can I cheat at a hypothesized question?"

"Trust me, I love Shakespeare myself, but the 'Complete Works' should count as 36 choices, instead of just one. If you had to choose one play, it would be more difficult. Plus, points off for complete lack of originality."

"Oh, unoriginal is the fault" Zechs chuckled. "I suppose I'd get the same fault if I chose 'Hamlet.'"

"Is that your favorite?"

Zechs nodded. "Okay, your turn. What Shakespeare play would you bring to a desert island?"

She thought a moment. "Probably 'The Tempest.' Just to ironically stay in theme when I want to shoot myself. But that's not what I would do should I get the advanced notice of Jack Sparrow-esque."

"And what would you bring, Ms. De Bourge, if not the Great Bard?"

She thought a moment, for effect, and smiled. "How to Build a Raft."

He laughed. "And how would you navigate it?"

She smiled wider. "I'd just have to find a Little Prince who fell out of the sky."

His expression dropped slightly at that, but he continued to chuckle, hoping she wouldn't notice. This time, she didn't.

At twilight, three loud knocks interrupted their conversation. "That would be for me." Zechs stood up gracefully, as did she, as they walked to the door. "Well, Lieutenant Merquise-"

"Zechs."

"Pardon?"

"Call me Zechs, if you please. We're not strangers anymore."

She regained her composure, and visibly tried again. "Well, Zechs" he smiled slightly, "thank you, for everything. How much longer will you be in Sanq?"

"Not too long, about a week. Then I begin my work at a base out of country." _A strange way to put it, _she thought, but she merely nodded.

"Good luck sir." She pulled back the door, and the cadet at the other side straightened and saluted his commanding officer. The cadet turned to walk to the car. Zechs began to follow, then seemed to rethink this decision and turned swiftly. Gently lifting the hand of the woman holding the door, he knelt slightly, as only a prince would do, he raised the hand to his lips and gently kissed it. Lowering it, he straightened and gave her a polite shift of his weight as he clicked his heels in attention, before walking to the car and getting in the backseat, but not before the vision of his long hair swaying with his strides was etched in her mind. She held the hand he kissed lightly, as she watched the car drive away into the night.

**XXXXXX**

Authors Note: Yes. I know. It's been years. I'm so sorry. But I gave you a long one, and there is more to come. So no angry-ness!

Thank you to the new readers and reviewers, it is those comments that renewed my interest in the story, so keep them coming.

Hope you enjoyed the latest. More pilots will come soon. Just to prepare you, because there is an additional cast of characters, the plot will loosely follow the show, but not exactly be the show. Fair warning.

Thanks again! And happy new year!

Tyger Rose


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